Apr 21, 2008
FEDERAL GRANT:
Should town hire 4 more firefighters?
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A grant of more than $400,000 has the Fire Commission in a quandary over whether to accept the federal money and hire four more firefighters.
The fire department received a $421,700 SAFER grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency March 24. The grant is specifically to allow towns or cities to hire additional firefighters. The grant finances a percentage of the new firefighters’ salary and benefits over a four-year period, paying less each year.
The grant appeared to catch the Fire Commission by surprise. The commission members, who are also the Board of Selectmen, immediately wanted to know where they could find the $80,951 the town would need to hire the four firefighters. Commission chairman and First Selectman Rudy Marconi waved off suggestions it was a problem for which the commission should have prepared.
“That’s just hindsight,” he said. “We didn’t know we were going to get this grant. The problem before us is we have to look forward to see how we can afford this.”
Fire Chief Heather Burford applied for the grant in August — with the commission’s permission. Firefighter Michael Moore, president of Local 1739 of the International Fire Fighter’s Association, said he believes the commission knew exactly what the grant entailed.
“When the chief told them about the grant in August she went through exactly how it works,” he said. “Now, all of a sudden, they’re saying if you want this you (the fire department) have to find the $80,000.”
Commission members Di Masters and Barbara Manners both asked Chief Burford what the department would “sacrifice” to get the new staff. Ms. Masters, in particular, felt the fire department should offset any new personnel costs with savings in other areas.
“You’re going to have to look at your wish list and see what you can give up,” she said. “There are other improvements we can’t fund if we hire more personnel.”
The commission faces a July 1 deadline to hire the four firefighters or forfeit the federal grant. Mr. Marconi said the timeline, more than anything else, was the main issue to face.
“As a fire commission, my concern is the speed at which we have to move,” Mr. Marconi said. “I think we all recognize the need (for more staff), but how do we capitalize it? We know we’re not going to get any more money out of the Board of Finance.”
Deadline looming
Ridgefield is the first municipality in Connecticut to receive the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that specifically pays for new firefighters. Other grants are for training, equipment and retention.
The $421,700 grant would allow the department to hire one new firefighter per shift, raising the maximum to eight and the minimum to seven. The current levels are seven maximum and six minimum.
The grant, in the first year, would pay 65% of the salary and benefits of four new firefighters, or $151,800 out of $232,751. The town would pick up the remaining $80,951.
In the second year, the town’s cost would rise to $105,977, then $165,009 in year three and $207,394 in year four. The town’s cost when the grant expires would be $267,087.
Chief Burford said having eight-man shifts would staff four pieces of apparatus — two ambulances and two engines. It could also cut down on the number of trips firefighters in Ridgebury must make to the Catoonah Street station when those firefighters are out on calls.
“Does it solve all the problems? No, it doesn’t, but it’s a huge step in the right direction,” Chief Burford said. “It should cut down on the wear and tear of apparatus and having eight on a shift puts us in a much better situation.”
The town, to hire four new firefighters this year, would need the Board of Finance’s approval of a special allocation. Whether that would happen, Mr. Marconi said, is essentially anybody’s guess.
“I think we all agree on the need for more staffing,” he said. “My concern is the overall impact to the taxpayers.”
Mr. Moore, however, said the real question was how safe does the town want to be.
“The federal government has said Ridgefield needs firefighters more than any other community in the state,” he said. “Every chief for the last 20 years has been asking for more manpower. There’s a reason for that. We’re not going to be able to cover everything all the time, but we can certainly cover more if we have more staff.”
The commission asked Chief Burford to break down all the costs and plans to hold a special meeting April 23 to decide on the grant.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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